Senators Urge ODR to Expedite Use of $235 Million in EnVision Tomorrow Funds Before 2026 Deadline

ODR is urged to effectively utilize the remaining $235 million in EnVision Tomorrow funds by the 2026 federal deadline, aiming to alleviate the prolonged housing challenges in the U.S. Virgin Islands

The Office of Disaster Recovery (ODR) is struggling to progress with the EnVIsion Tomorrow program, having completed only 35 of the eligible homes as of July 2024, despite the program opening for applications over four years ago.

On Monday, ODR’s director Adrienne Williams-Octalien provided an update on territorial disaster recovery projects before the Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure, and Planning. “Significant resources have been dedicated to moving the long-delayed EnVIsion Tomorrow Home Repair and Reconstruction program forward,” she testified. There are currently 27 homes in construction, while another 44 homes are pending contract awards. ODR anticipates that during 2025, an additional 200 homes will be under construction.

Now over 4 years since the EnVIsion Tomorrow program opened for applications, ODR said it recognizes the need to verify that applicants are still interested. To do so, the office will administer a survey to “ensure that we have current contact information.” Outside of conducting the survey, ODR wants to strengthen existing lines of communication with applicants. “We have found that over 40% of the people who come to the top of the list are slow to respond with documents or indicate they are not ready to relocate so that their homes can be fixed,” she explained.